1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an interrupter.
2. Background Art
Transmissive (opposed-type) interrupters are used for sheet detection in printers and copiers, and to detect the lens position of digital cameras and cell phone cameras. A transmissive interrupter is a sensor composed of a light emitting device and a light receiving device placed opposite to each other. The transmissive interrupter senses the presence of a target to be detected with the help of the fact that the amount of light received by the light receiving device decreases when the target to be detected is interposed between the light emitting device and the light receiving device.
In the transmissive interrupter, the light emitting device and the light receiving device are enclosed with a mold member made of a resin material. The light emitting device and the light receiving device are placed so as to sandwich the space which the target to be detected may pass through, and held by a single mold member. Hence, the mold member typically has a square U shape. In the mold member, the portion intervening in the light path from the light emitting device to the light receiving device is formed from a transparent resin, and the other portion is formed from an opaque resin such as a black resin (see, e.g., JP-A-8-335710(Kokai) (paragraph 0021)).
With the recent downsizing and cost reduction of digital cameras and cell phones, components constituting them are also desired to be small and cost-effective. Naturally, further downsizing and cost reduction of the interrupter, with its resolution being maintained, are also desired.